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#holy spirit help me surrender
thewordfortheday · 1 year
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And your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left . ( Isaiah 30:21)
Does God communicate His will to us? Each of us are looking for direction or confirmation of God's leading. We lack the spiritual discernment to make the right decision. Scripture teaches that only God can give divine guidance.
Ephesians 5:17 says, "Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." How? Firstly, we have God's Word, through which the Holy Spirit will enlighten us as we meditate on it, providing us with clear guidance. Secondly, we can experience the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit when we desire to do His will. God gently guides our steps as we choose to walk with Him. God wants to make His His will known in our lives.
Prayer: Lord, help me to be sensitive to Your leading by staying close to You and surrendering my will to You.
In Jesus' name. Amen
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indigofoxsbg · 1 month
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𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐬 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫
You ever hear the phrase, "Jesus is knocking" or "Jesus is calling"? Well, you may be asking, "how do I answer?" During a recent church service, there was a point during worship where I heard the voice of God saying to me, you are about to unlock the door. He has given me the key to unlock it - the key is surrendering. But why does it seem so hard? We want what we want when we want it. That's the thing - we shall not want.
"The Lord is my shepard; I shall not want"
- Psalm 23:1
We are called to be a living sacrifice. We are called to throw out our ideas of how we want to live and choose His plans for us instead. But why is it so hard? The flesh! The flesh and our sin nature makes it hard. I can attest to this myself! For instance, some music I know i shouldn't listen to, yet i choose to anyways because it 'sounds good and makes me feel good'. That's the thing with sin, it sounds and feels good, but it leaves you empty in the end. I tried to fill that void with things that went against God; it never worked. Coming out of complacency and lukewarmness, the only way to fill that void is to fill it with the Holy Spirit. Read scripture, attend church, and surround yourself with like-minded and Spirit Filled individuals. Trust me, the friends you have matter; we are influenced by the company we keep. I could go into that all day, but i will get back to my point. Surrendering to God means dying to self. I want my words to go with how i live my life. Truth of the matter is - i struggle. I dont read my word as much as i should. I don't attend church consistently. I have recently started to come out of it. I hope somehow, somewhere this helps someone going through this like me. I have a hunger for the Lord! As i started to surrender, I noticed a huge weight come off me. Will the earthly struggle go away? No, not yet. Not until we become one in Christ. The battle still goes on. How we choose to fight it matters. Lets choose God! I'm ready to surrender. I hope you are too. Also, another thing I noticed; when you turn to God the former things you liked become rather.. dull. Almost making you sick to look back on! At least for me that's how it is haha. Alright, i will end this here.
Jesus loves you, choose Him.
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backgroundgoblin-blog · 8 months
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––SONIC & BLACK KNIGHT AU––
Down in the murky depths of the abyss, there is a heart that beats. It beats for a creature, too far down for the light of Gaia to reach. It feeds on the will of man, turning them to husks of what they once where. These heirs of darkness follow there master's command and spread their tainted nature throughout the world.
Here, in the murky depths of the world, lost in a maze of stone and moss, is a chamber of a forbidden spirit, locked away so that no man would ever find it.
Two holy servants, from the last few bastions of faith, the followers of Gaia, pace themselves in the shadows, with only their incantations of light guiding their eyes.
A young priestess follows behind her guardian paladin, and by the corner of her eyes, something catches the attention of the young shepherd.
Turning her head to the wall beside her, she found carving of a peculiar creature. A four armed dragon, encompassing all of the rough canvas. Bellow is a village, engulfed in a black flame. The sight of such imagery strikes at the core of the little rabbit’s heart.
• Crisma: Do you not feel it in your soul, the darkness slowly engulfing us.
Hearing such tainted words, pink hedgehog turns to the young one, who cradles her staff to her chest, looking down to the stone walkway. • Crisma: Is this place truly the domain of the old king? Or a prison for our weary souls.
The judge approaches the rabbit, kneeling down to reach her eyes. • Amelia: Steel yourself. Between these walls, such thoughts only cloud your judgment, corrupting your soul. Do what you must to strive forward. • Crisma: Forgive my weakness, the ever looming gaze of the dark is…overwhelming • Amelia: Yet here you are. The shepherd takes her eyes to her guardian • Amelia: Gaia stands beside those who embrace there vigor, and you have done so much in such a short about of time.
For a woman who has taken up the oath to smite and judge, her words brought such comfort to the young cleric. She couldn’t help but smile as her elder caressed her head. • Crisma: If the tides of faith bestows us a chance to ascend to the surface, and rejoice in Gaia’s warmth, would you continue your tales from your time as princess of this kingdom? • Amelia: If it inspires you so. Though I find your interest in those mundane matters perplexing.
Suddenly, a crack breaks the silence, the rabbit stutters, freezing in place. The hedgehog stands firm, holding her mallet with both hands.
An echo is heard, almost as silent as a whisper, as if the very walls where hissing, behind the silence, the dungeon speaks: • ???: Why do you resist?
The judge hides the the young one and readies her heavy mallet, while the shepherd turns her back and begins her incantation. • ???: In each walking day, you tire more, in each slumbering night, you sink deeper into compliance.
• ???: But fret not, if you were to just leave behind your burden, and allow yourself to become one with the dungeon, you would find that there is beauty in such darkness.
Suddenly another crack, the judge takes a look down and sees the stones they walk begin to break.
• Amelia: Crisma! The ground! • Crisma: What!?
Suddenly, the walkway gives in, leaving the two followers of Gaia, falling deeper into the abyss, Screaming into the void, to no avail, as the very darkness smothers their voice, leaving them unheard.
• ???: Let the tide of surrender immerse your soul, and take heed of this gift. For the weary souls who succumb to me, will find their place, and within it…peace.
To be continued…(eventually)
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alwaysrememberjesus · 7 months
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For You: The Believers Warfare Prayer
Because we are children of God, the enemy will always attempt to attack and distract us in any way he can. That’s why it is so important that we stay connected to God through the study of His word and in constant communication with Him in prayer. The enemy can’t defeat us when we entrench ourselves in prayer and reading of the Bible. Every attack we experience has a spiritual basis. That’s why Paul says,
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” — Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Whenever you face attacks of any kind, whether it be in your mind, emotions, health, finances, relationships or other areas of your life, I encourage you to declare and pray the following prayer, The Believers Warfare Prayer, out loud…
Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to You. I take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in my prayer life. I address myself only to the True and Living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer.
I command Satan, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all of his demons. I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ between Satan and myself.
Heavenly Father, I worship You and give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the Blessed Holy Spirit would enable me in this time of prayer. I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity and that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to die as my substitute. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative and that through Him You have completely forgiven me. You have adopted me into Your family; You have assumed all responsibility for me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my daily help and strength.
Heavenly Father, open my eyes that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this day. I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the Cross and in His Resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies. I take my place with Him in the heavenlies and recognize by faith that all wicked spirits and Satan himself are under my feet. I declare, therefore, that Satan and his wicked spirits are subject to me in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am thankful for the Armor You have provided. I put on the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Sandals of Peace, and the Helmet of Salvation. I lift up the Shield of Faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy; and take in my hand the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. I choose to use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life. I put on this Armor and live and pray in complete dependence upon You, Blessed Holy Spirit.
I am grateful, Heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject all the insinuations, and accusations, and the temptations of Satan. I affirm that the Word of God is true and I choose to live today in the light of God’s Word. I choose, Heavenly Father, to live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that do not please You. Work in me to cleanse me from all ground that would give Satan a foothold against me. I do in every way stand into all that it means to be Your adopted child and I welcome all the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
By faith and in dependence upon You I put off the old man and stand into all the victory of the Crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new man and stand into all the victory of the Resurrection and the provision He has made for me to live above sin.
Therefore, today I put off the old nature with its selfishness and I put on the new nature with its love. I put off the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with its righteousness, purity, and honesty.
In every way I stand into the victory of the ascension and glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereby all the principalities and powers were made subject to Him. I claim my place in Christ as victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol and cast out every foe.
I am thankful, Heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I therefore, claim all the will of God for today. I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and peace, with longsuffering, gentleness and goodness, with meekness, faithfulness, and self-control in my life. I recognize that this is Your will for me and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and his wicked spirits to rob me of the will of God. I refuse in this day to believe my feelings and I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and distortion and insinuations that Satan would put into my mind. I claim the fullness of the will of God for my life today.
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I completely surrender myself to You, Heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I pray that You would show me Your will and enable me to walk in all the fullness of Your will today.
I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, to the casting down of imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan and smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind, and I surrender my mind to You, Blessed Holy Spirit. I affirm, Heavenly Father, that You have not given me the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my emotions today and I give my emotions to You. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my will today, I give my will to You, and choose to make the right decisions of faith. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my body today, I give my body to You recognizing that I am Your temple. I rejoice in Your mercy and goodness.
Heavenly Father, I pray that now and through this day You would strengthen and enlighten me, show me the way Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer and faith. Enable me to be aggressive mentally, to think about and practice Your Word, and to give You Your rightful place in my life.
Again, I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, Blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the Crucifixion, all the work of the Resurrection, all the work of the Glorification, and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I surrender myself to You. I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead, and I claim in every way this victory over all Satanic forces in my life. I pray in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.
© Victor Matthews, Emeritus Professor of Theology at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary
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tammiam · 6 months
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My non-believing friends often ask me if our friendship is contingent on them believing in Christ.
My response:
“No it’s not. I love you. Christ doesn’t love us because we love Him. He loved us first.”
Your salvation however, is contingent on you giving your life to Christ. But that brings us back to one thing….love.
I love you.
Our friendship is not based on you believing the word of God. However, my love for you requires me to keep sharing the gospel with you.
That is love.
Love is heavy, weighty, and deep.
True love doesn’t come with conditions, it does however come with great responsibility.
Love will do everything to save your life, even if you don’t know you’re drowning.
This isn’t about creating mindless cult members.
This isn’t about creating slaves.
This is about having laid down, fully surrendered, fully invested, radically in love, followers.
Mary.
Mary in the tomb.
Her first love.
He returned for her.
He saved her.
Oh, how He loved her.
Oh, how she loved Him.
It’s about that.
It’s about love.
True love.
Selfless love.
Sacrificial love.
Wisdom is me learning how to be the Bible to you, and not just preach it at you.
Love is me identifying your pain point, and pointing you toward Jesus to heal.
Help me to love like you Lord.
Give me your heart - my precious Jesus.
Please get me out of the way.
Holy Spirit please draw them unto yourself.
Let me shine hope.
Let me represent the goodness of God.
Let me radiate the love of Christ.
Nothing less.
Nothing, nothing, nothing less. Heidi Davis
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Ancient of Days Pray… Heavenly Father, I am seeking you wholeheartedly. Jesus, I am surrendering to your will and your ways. Holy Spirit, I am listening for your voice and guidance. Make me aware of your presence. I know you are here. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen. Read… Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ Isaiah 46:9-10 NIV Consider… There is no one like our God. He is set apart, separate, other—holy. One of the names for this holy God is the Ancient of Days. Basically, what that means is that God has been there from the beginning and also that He has a front row seat to the past, present, future all at the same time. His perspective, outside of time, allows Him to see the end from the beginning and His purposes are based on this perspective. That’s another reason we can have complete confidence in His guidance—He sees what we cannot. In what area of your life do you need new perspective or guidance? Ask God to help you catch a glimpse of what He sees and trust Him with what you cannot. In your own words, what does it mean for God to be the Ancient of Days? What’s something that happened in your past that didn’t make sense in the moment? Can you see God’s purpose in that thing now? YouVersion Bible plan Becoming like Jesus Silence and Solitude
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hiswordsarekisses · 8 months
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How many times He has done this dance with me. 😭 Sometimes the consequences are the very best deliverer. He knows best. 💙 This is a little long but so beautiful:
“There he lay in a mess of emotion on the hall floor. Guilt and fear of a consequence wrecking his little body. Kneeling in front of him I ask for his hand. The sobbing response is ‘I don’t want a consequence.’ It had been thirty minutes of back and forth, the tug of war dance between irrational child and a parent desperate to remain calm. Once again I tell him I love him, stand up and return to fixing dinner. From the corner of my eye I see his body worn from the battle. I desperately want to tell him the future, my heart breaking over his distrust, but I can’t make his choice. I return to him again, ‘Give me your hand,’ I ask. ‘No,’ he replies, ‘I don’t want a consequence.’ ‘I love you son. Do you trust that I love you?’ As he shakes his head no, sorrow floods my soul. Once again, I say I love you, stand and return to dinner. His emotions calm and I return again, kneel, and ask for his hand. From behind him a brotherly voice says ‘Don’t do it, she’s mean, she just wants you upset.’ And the flood begins again.
So is this how God feels when I battle his character? He is love and cannot be other. I hear my Father say ‘a consequence is needed, your sin is apparent,’ but instead of trusting his love, I battle. In the wake of guilt and the sorrow of my sin, I can’t see truth. All I fear is the penalty I deserve as I hear voices around scream ‘save yourself, He isn’t good.’
Weary, I return to him again. ‘Look in my eyes,’ I ask. But he can’t...won’t. I see the battle raging inside. ‘I love you, look at my eyes,’ I repeat. His head turns but his eyes look away, up, down, around, determined to miss my gaze. ‘I love you,’ I remind him and wait. Knowing full well this is a choice he alone must make. Exhausted and worn, he looks up. ‘Give me your hand,’ I whisper.
As he timidly reaches out and grasps my hand, I help him up and into my lap.
Rocking and reassuring him, his sobs & body calm as he rests in my grace.
The fight was long and brutal; the war of self against obedience. Control verses surrender. It lasted longer than needed and cost him more emotionally than it should have. The punishment his heart endured was greater than any consequence deserved. And I was broken for him, wishing he would have chosen love and trust sooner.
So my Father whispers, ‘Trust my love. Correction comes because I love you. There is no condemnation, you are my child.’ And I have a choice. Trust Him and surrender to his loving hands or draw my sword, knowing full well battle always leaves unnecessary scars.”
Shauna Thomas
“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live? Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews‬ ‭12:5-11‬
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twoidiotwriters1 · 7 months
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Daughter of Olympus (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)
A/N: I hate the Tumblr posts now they're so hard to handle and stupid -Danny Words: 2,632 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter / Next Chapter Listen to: 'Ain't No Rest For The Wicked' -by Cage The Elephant
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XII. You Killed My T-Rex, Prepare to Die
"AHHGGGH!"
"Holy—!" Ara falls over, scrambles to her feet, and pulls out Almighty. "What's wrong?!"
"Coach is awake," Leo announces casually.
"Die!" Hedge smashes everything in his path.
"Coach!" Jason shouts angrily.
Ara snatches the club out of the satyr's hand as he runs past her. "Enough!"
Hedge stops and turns back, his eyes find Jason first. "You're the new kid, Jason. Valdez, McLean," When he looks at Ara, his gaze brightens. "Jackson! What's going on? We were at the Grand Canyon and the Anemoi thuellai were attacking, we could've used your help—" He spots the cage with the storm spirits. "DIE!"
The satyr charges again, but Leo stops him. "Whoa, Coach! It's okay. They're locked up. We just sprang you from the other cage."
"Cage? Cage? What's going on? Just because I'm a satyr doesn't mean I can't have you doing plank push-ups, Valdez!"
Ara shoves the club into his hands. "Sit down. Listen."
Jason approaches. "Coach—Gleeson—um, whatever you want us to call you. You saved us at the Grand Canyon. You were totally brave."
"Of course I was!"
"The extraction team came and took us to Camp Half-Blood. We thought we'd lost you. Then we got word the storm spirits had taken you back to their—um, operator, Medea."
"That witch! Wait—that's impossible. She's mortal. She's dead."
"Yeah, well," Leo shrugs, "somehow she got not dead anymore."
"So!" Hedge continues happily. "You were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. Excellent!"
"Um... Actually, Glee—can I still call you Coach Hedge? Gleeson seems wrong. We're on a quest for something else. We kind of found you by accident," Piper explains.
"Oh." The satyr is mildly disappointed but carries on with the same energy as before. "But there are no accidents! Not on quests. This was meant to happen! So, this is the witch's lair, eh? Why is everything gold?"
"Gold?"
When they look around, Ara feels like she's in Apollo's private chambers. Everything is made out of gold... And the statues are definitely people, which sets off alarms in her brain.
"Nice," Leo whistles lowly. "No wonder they got so much security."
"This isn't—This isn't Medea's place, Coach. It's some rich person's mansion in Omaha. We got away from Medea and crash-landed here."
"We've got to get out of here," Ara says anxiously.
An old man steps into the room looking like he just woke up. Halfway through brushing his teeth he stops and looks at them.  "Son? Lit, come out here, please. There are strange people in the throne room." 
Before they can stop him, Hedge gets up. "DIE!" 
"Whoa, Coach!" Jason steps in to stop him, seriously annoyed. "Bring it down a few notches." 
A young man wearing pajamas barges in, holding a long and sharp sword. He has curly dark hair, an athletic body that's covered in scars, and cold calculating blue eyes. 
"Holy Ares..." Ara breathes, torn between admiration and alarm. "Alright, stop staring," she tells herself, but then she doesn't follow her own orders. She never does.
Lit glances between her and Jason and decides to attack Jason first. Ara takes full offense. "Hold on!" Piper raises her hands in surrender. "This is just a misunderstanding! Everything's fine."
"I'll get them! Don't worry!"
"Coach, they may be friendly," Jason also raises his hands. "Besides, we're trespassing in their house."
"Thank you!" The old man exclaims. "Now, who are you, and why are you here?"
"Let's all put our weapons down," Piper says. "Coach, Ara, you first."
The girl obeys without putting up a fight, Lit's eyes remain on her for a brief moment before moving away. "Just one thwack?" Hedge offers.
"No."
"What about a compromise? I'll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I'll apologize."
"Hedge, put that club down or I'll shred it to splinters," Ara says sternly.
"You're no fun," he mutters. "Way better when you used to blast washing machines..."
"When she what?" Leo asks in amusement.
Ara knows she's not as fun as before, but she's got responsibilities now, she can't go around pretending things aren't a big deal. "Not the time, Hedge," she mumbles.
"You speak well, girl," Lit says to Piper. "Fortunately for your friends, or I would've run them through."
"Appreciate it," Leo replies. "I try not to get run through before lunchtime."
"Well, since you're here. Please, sit down," the man moves, lightly kicking the smashed tea set out of his way.
"Your Majesty—"
"No, no, it's fine, Lit. New land, new customs. They may sit in my presence. After all, they've seen me in my nightclothes. No sense observing formalities."
"You're King Midas," Ara blurts out.
The man smiles at her, but there is something creepy about it. "You're Ara Jackson. Smaller in person."
"Midas?" Hedge asks. "Impossible, he died."
King Midas takes the throne and Lit remains standing behind him, occasionally looking at Piper and trying to make his muscles pop out. He does the same whenever he glances at Ara, but when it's directed at her, it looks like a threat.
Piper clears her throat. "What our satyr friend means, your Majesty, is that you're the second mortal we've met who should be—sorry—dead. King Midas lived thousands of years ago."
"Interesting. You know, I think I was a bit dead for a while. It's strange. Seems like a dream, doesn't it, Lit?" 
"A very long dream, Your Majesty."
"And yet, now we're here. I'm enjoying myself very much. I like being alive better."
"But how? You didn't happen to have a... patron?"
"Does it matter, my dear?"
"It matters if you're here to cause trouble," Ara replies.
"We could kill them again," Hedge proposes eagerly.
"Coach, not helping," Jason intervenes. "Why don't you go outside and stand guard?" 
Leo clears his throat. "Is that safe? They've got some serious security."
"Oh, yes! Sorry about that. But it's lovely stuff, isn't it? Amazing what gold can still buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country!" He grabs a remote and presses a passcode. "There. Safe to go out now."
"Fine. But if you need me..." Hedge makes not-so-subtle gestures about slicing up throats. Ara doesn't know whether to be amused or exasperated.
"Yeah, thanks," Jason glances at her, and they look away before bursting into giggles.
"So..." Piper smiles briefly. "You don't know how you got here?"
"Oh, well, yes. Sort of..." Midas looks at his son. "Why did we pick Omaha, again? I know it wasn't the weather."
"The oracle."
"Yes! I was told there was an oracle in Omaha. Apparently, I was mistaken. But this is a rather nice house, isn't it? Lit—it's short for Lityerses, by the way—horrible name, but his mother insisted—Lit has plenty of wide-open space to practice his swordplay. He has quite a reputation for that. They called him the Reaper of Men back in the old days." 
Ara's not as alarmed at Lit's nickname as she is at their search for an oracle. Before she can ask, however, Jason speaks again. "So, all this gold—"
"Are you here for gold, my boy?" Suddenly the man looks delighted to have them around. "Please, take a brochure!"
"Um, you sell gold?" Jason glimpses at the papers on the coffee table.
"No, no, I make it. In uncertain times like these, gold is the wisest investment, don't you think? Governments fall. The dead rise. Giants attack Olympus. But gold retains its value!"
"I've seen that commercial," Leo says sarcastically.
"Oh, don't be fooled by cheap imitators! I assure you, I can beat any price for a serious investor. I can make a wide assortment of gold items at a moment's notice."
Leo glances at Ara as if asking 'Is this guy serious?' andshe shrugs.
"But..." Piper frowns. "Your Majesty, you gave up the golden touch, didn't you?"
Midas seems confused. "Gave it up?"
"Yes, you got it from some god—"
"Dionysus. I'd rescued one of his satyrs, and in return, the god granted me one wish. I chose the golden touch."
"But you accidentally turned your own daughter to gold, and you realized how greedy you'd been. So you repented." 
"Repented! You see, son? You're away for a few thousand years, and the story gets twisted all around. My dear girl, did those stories ever say I'd lost my magic touch?"
"Well, I guess not. They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water, and you brought your daughter back to life."
"That's all true. Sometimes I still have to reverse my touch. There's no running water in the house because I don't want accidents, but we chose to live next to a river just in case. Occasionally, I'll forget and pat Lit on the back—"
"I hate that," Lit grumbles.
"I told you I was sorry, son. At any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?"
"Well, isn't that the point of the story? That you learned your lesson?" 
The man laughs. "My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here."
Ara looks around, trying to make out a quick route of escape. They're not trapped but she feels that way, Midas isn't a good guy, and he'll try to stop them from leaving.
"As you see, I can still turn anything to gold," Midas says, tossing Piper's bag, now golden, back to her. "That pack is magic now, as well. Go ahead—put your little storm spirit enemies in there."
"Seriously?" Leo takes the bag and approaches the spirits, they slip into it as if sucked into a vacuum. "Gotta admit. That's cool," he grins.
"You see? My golden touch a curse? Please. I didn't learn any lesson, and life isn't a story, girl. Honestly, my daughter Zoe was much more pleasant as a gold statue."
"She talked a lot," Lit added.
"Exactly! And so I turned her back to gold." 
"That's horrible!"
"Nonsense. She doesn't mind. Besides, if I'd learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?"
Midas shows them the donkey ears under his sleeping hat. Ara is officially eager to leave this place. She squeezes her T-Rex tightly against her chest, heart pounding as she kicks Jason's foot to urge him to finish the conversation.
"...I think that must be why I was brought back, eh Lit? To bankroll our patron."
"That and my good sword arm."
"So you do have a patron," Jason says, sounding as anxious to leave as Ara. "You work for the giants."
"Well, I don't care for giants myself, of course. But even supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group that came through, but they were very unfriendly. Wouldn't cooperate at all."
"The last group?"
"Hunters," The king's son makes a face. "Blasted girls from Artemis."
Ara hears a brief discharge go through Jason's body and onto the couch. He's mentioned something about Thalia being his sister, she doesn't know how that's possible. "When? What happened?" Jason asks urgently.
"Few days ago?" Lit shrugs. "I didn't get to kill them, unfortunately. They were looking for some evil wolves, or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod—I don't recall."
Ara almost lets out a joyful exclamation, maybe they found Percy. She has to find Thalia.
"Very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters," Midas agrees. "They absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside I installed to keep that sort of thing from happening again, you know. I don't have time for those who aren't serious investors." 
Jason is now nudging Piper's arm to get her to wrap up their visit. As expected, the king is having none of it. He won't let them leave. Ara sneaks one hand into her pocket, wrapping her fingers around the compass.
"Don't worry, you don't have to be turned to gold. I give all my guests a choice—join my collection, or die at the hands of Lityerses. Really, it's good either way."
Piper gets up. "Your Majesty, you can't—"
Midas seizes her wrist and turns her into gold, Jason doesn't take it well. Ara jumps to her feet and pulls out her sword, Midas reaches for her but Leo jumps in and tries to summon fire, forgetting the room doesn't allow that, so Midas touches him instead.
"Leo!"
"Gold trumps fire, I'm afraid," Midas explains cheerily. "In this room, my power dampens all others, even charmspeak. Makes me wonder, daughter of Olympus, are you stronger than gold?"
"Hedge!" Jason screams. "Need help in here!"
"No goat to the rescue?" Midas mocks them after they get no answer. "Sad. But don't worry, it's really not painful. Lit can tell you."
Ara and Jason share one look. "We choose combat."
Midas is not surprised by their decision. "If you wish, demigods. Though I warn you, he is the best of his kind, and his killing will be less merciful than my golden touch."
"We'll take our chances," Ara replies.
"I'm going to enjoy this," Lit sneers. "I am the Reaper of Men!"
"Come on, Cornhusker," Jason taunts him, making his javelin appear. Ara adopts a fighting stance too.
"Oh, gold weapons!" Midas beams. "Very nice."
Lit is fast even while fighting two people. Jason and Ara have a bit of trouble working together, Jason is used to leading attacks, and she does whatever her gut tells her to. He keeps shouting suggestions that Ara ignores, but at least it works in their favor, it confuses Lit.
"What is that style?" He scowls. "You don't fight like a Greek!"
"Legion training," Jason grunts. "It's Roman."
"Roman? What is Roman?"
"News flash—While you were dead, Rome defeated Greece. Created the greatest empire of all time."
"According to them," Ara remarks. "They were stuck-up show-offs." Lit slashes across and the T-Rex's head falls limply to their feet. Ara's eyes darken. "Front or hind?" The girl asks.
"Front," Jason answers.
Ara lowers herself and kicks Lit on the back of the knees. Jason shoves his javelin's butt on the boy's chest, forcing him to crash into his father. Out of instinct, the man catches Lit, creating a very grumpy-looking statue of his son.
Ara stands up and nods at Jason. "Not bad for a Roman."
The boy grins. "Same to you, Graeca."
"Curses!" Midas snarls, pushing Lit's statue out of the way. "That was a naughty trick! I'll get you for that!" He looks at his son in pity. "Don't worry, son. I'll get you down to the river right after I collect this prize."
They move in different directions, Jason kicks the coffee table and the man crashes into it. The boy's hair stands up. "You know another good use for gold?" Jason looks at her. "It's an excellent conductor of electricity."
Ara drops to the ground and covers her head. Lightning strikes into the room and she smells something burning. Pieces of debris fall around and she crawls through the room. The chandelier falls and traps Midas on the floor.
Rain starts to pour down on them, Ara leans against a pillar for safety, she watches the statues go back to normal and Hedge finally runs into the room with frozen grass all over his face. "What'd I miss?"
"Where were you?" Jason's not able to stand straight, so Ara pushes herself up and steadies him. "I was screaming for help!"
Hedge burps. "Getting a snack. Sorry. Who needs killing?"
"No one, now!" Jason complains. "Just grab Leo. We'll get Piper."
"We won't do anything," Ara corrects him. "Take a breather, I'll grab Piper."
"I'm—"
"It's an order," she cuts him off.
"Don't leave me like this!" Midas demands.
Ara pauses, next to the man lays her beheaded T-Rex. She approaches and makes no attempt to help Midas, only picking up her plushie. "Your son killed my dino," she glances at the chandelier. "Wasn't gold your specialty? You save yourself."
The girl spots her Tyrian cloak under the coffee table, she pulls it out and throws it over Lit's body to make sure he doesn't go back to normal. Ara carries Piper's statue, it's heavy, but she should be able to reach the river without much strain.
"Let's get out of here," Jason seizes their backpacks and hangs them over his shoulder. "I think these guys will want some quality time with Midas."
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Next Chapter ->
Taglist.
@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @ash-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen
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walkswithmyfather · 8 months
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“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:1-2 (NASB1995)
“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” —Matthew 16:25 (NASB1995)
“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” —Psalm 16:11 (NASB1995)
“The Blessing of Sacrifice” By In Touch Ministries:
“Though it may be difficult, we are called to follow Jesus' example and surrender everything to God.”
“In the Old Testament, sacrifice was a means of atonement. When a person sinned, he or she brought an animal to the altar, and through its death, reconciliation was accomplished. What, then, does today’s passage mean when Paul urges believers to “present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice” (v. 1)?
Thankfully, there is no need for our blood to be shed; Jesus took care of that when He died on the cross for our sins. Instead, what Paul means is that our lives should be surrendered to the Lord. A surrendered life involves commitment. It’s a decision to defer to God’s will and His Holy Spirit instead of following our own preferences. Every aspect of our being—body, soul, and spirit—is to be a living sacrifice. 
Though this may sound dreary, true freedom and joy are found when we yield to Christ. The Lord promised His followers that abundant life comes from losing ourselves in Him (Matthew 16:25). Psalm 16:11 says it best: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  
Becoming a living sacrifice sounds like a tall order—and it is. But it’s a call we face with Jesus by our side. Remember: He is our constant companion and wants to help us.”
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Devotionals for March 21, 2024
Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Daily Living
Devotional Scripture:
Proverbs 12:5-7(KJV): 5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. 6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
Thought for the Day
Verse 5 - The book of Proverbs contrasts the thoughts and words of the righteous with those of the wicked. Looking at these verses carefully, we notice the progression of sin and righteousness. Both of them first proceed from the heart. Next, they become thoughts in the mind and finally are manifested in our actions. Sin begins in a man's heart; first, a man will have thoughts about the sin, then his mouth will speak of those sins, and finally, he will commit those sins. The same is true of righteousness; it also proceeds from the heart and forms righteous thoughts. As a man speaks of those thoughts, he will finally act upon them and bring them forth as righteous deeds.
Jesus confirms this in Mark 7:20-23: "And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."
The Bible tells us that all people tend to sin. How can we have a change of heart and be free from sin? We can be free only by being born again. We must confess our sins to God, acknowledge that Jesus Christ died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins, ask His forgiveness, and invite Him to come into our lives and give us new hearts. As we surrender our lives to God, the Holy Spirit breaks sin's power over us. "...So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness" (Romans 6:9-13 RSV).
Verse 6 - Though the wicked plot is murder, the righteous can prevent it through prayer. Speaking God's protection over a situation can destroy the plans of the wicked and establish the righteous. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD..." (Isaiah 54:17a). Psalm 91 contains many promises of God's protection that we can pray aloud for others or ourselves.
Verse 7 - To walk in righteousness so that our "houses will stand," we must keep our minds on the things of God; guarding our hearts. As we saw above, sin is produced in the heart. Satan tries to enter through our "eye and ear gates." We must be careful of what we expose ourselves to on television, the Internet, and in books. Parents should monitor these, along with video games and music. It is not a sin to have an evil thought; it is a sin to consider it and dwell upon it. We can resist evil thoughts with God's Word (James 4:6-7). For instance, if tempted to covet, we can resist it by remembering the commandments not to covet (Exodus 20:17) and to be content with what God has given us (Hebrews 13:5). We can also remember that the Lord desires to bless all His children: He will bless us in due time if we are not jealous of others.
Prayer Devotional for the Day
Dear Father God, I am grateful for all the times that Your hand of protection has been over my family. Thank You! Help me to keep my thoughts on good things and take those things out of my heart that are not like You. Forgive me when I dwell upon wrong thoughts and fail to resist the devil immediately. I do want a clean heart and a pure mind. Help me to resist the evil that is in the world and keep my thoughts on edifying things. Lord, I pray for all the Christian parents raising their children in this crooked generation. Give them wisdom and love as they instruct their children in Your ways. Remove rebellion from the hearts of people whose thinking is perverted. Protect our children in the schools and on the streets. Have mercy on us and give us Your grace to be good examples to our children and young people we know. In Jesus' name, I ask. Amen. From: Steven P. Miller @ParkermillerQ,  gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida., USA.  X ... @ParkermillerQ #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller, #Eldermiller1981 GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA
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blossom-works · 5 months
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Hello friends! This is not going to be my usual story post. In fact, this may be a goodbye. I have made the decision to stop writing and uploading fanfics. I don't have writer's block or lost inspiration, but I'm putting my faith first. I am relatively new in my faith and have been struggling to commit to God due to my fleshly desires (writing fanfics). While fan fiction itself is not bad or evil (up until it is anti-Christian in my opinion), it is prohibiting me from putting God first.
Some of you may not understand where I am coming from and may think something like "That's a stupid reason. It's just fanfiction, what's so wrong with it?" I understand this but I need to put God above all. Currently, writing on this platform sits on the throne of my heart and not God. I won't lie, seeing my notifications on this platform feeds into my want for attention and validation. It fuels my ego but what I need is to put our Heavenly Father first and foremost. I thought that I could negotiate with the Lord but that is not how it works. I must give my all to God.
I truly appreciate all of you who have read my stories and interacted with me on Tumblr. I am thankful that you have given me the encouragement to keep writing and pitching me story ideas. I will not say that I love you, but you made me happy and I hope that I did the same.
Some of you still may not understand my decision, but I've made my choice. I am laying this down so I can be closer to the god who created me and loves me. I don't know when or if I will ever come back on Tumblr. It is up to what God has planned for me.
To give you some context about my faith, this is my conviction: I once rejected God, and over time (years really), did I say "yes" to God. I was not baptized and to the time of writing this, I am still not baptized. My "yes" to Jesus was on one Christmas Eve and I took a candle my church provided. That was my declaration that I would follow Jesus. Since then, I have basically been in an on-and-off relationship with God, me more so than God. I gave into my fleshly desires and I did not fully surrender myself to my Heavenly Father.
I have been having an argument with God about me writing fan fiction. I knew He wanted me to give it up but I did not want to. At least until now. This is a hard decision for me but I must submit to Him if I am to have salvation and eternal life. Jesus did the 99 yards so that I may do that one. Before I give my final goodbye, I want to pray:
Heavenly Father, here I am. Lord, I lay this down for you so that I may take up my cross as Christ has told me to. As I take up my cross, I would like to pray to those who are reading this. God, I pray that those who do not know you may one day come to know you. I pray that those who rejected you like I once did, may repent. Bless the Holy Spirit that lies within them. I don't know their faces or names but you do God for you are the all-knowing God. Will you bring them peace in the midst of their storms and will they lift their burdens up to you, Lord?
May they lay down their stumbling blocks and may they take up their cross as Jesus, your son and our Lord, has instructed us to do. For those with hardened hearts, will you slowly soften them so that you may sit on the throne of their hearts? I pray that through my conviction may it help ignite the Holy Spirit in them. I pray those reading this prayer repent for their sins and may you forgive them.
God, our Father in Heaven and our creator, you are great. You sent your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, down on this earth to take us away from death. It is thanks to Christ's broken body and blood that we are saved from sin. You watched as your son won the battle with His death in heartache all so that we may be closer to you. Lord God, you are the only God worthy of our praise and hearts. You are a God that can move mountains and calm the ugliest of storms. There is no one greater or more powerful than you, God.
So Lord our God, will this prayer be able to reach the hearts of the unbelievers and those who are struggling in their faith. Will this prayer give them the courage they need to take the first step in their faith journey? May they know that they have never been alone and that all they need to do is to turn around and take your hand. Blessed are those who praise and worship you. Bless those who are unbelievers. Bless your holy name and your holy kingdom.
And Lord, for those who are scared of disappointing you, may they know that you know that they will always fall short. May they know that they don't have to be perfect throughout their faith walk and that there will be times when they give into temptation. May they know that you will never give them a challenge that they cannot win, but may they know that they can only win when they are with you. May they know that Jesus, the spotless lamb, was crucified on the cross so that we do not have to be perfect. May you turn their fear into faith.
I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
And with this, this is my goodbye.
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apostlewill · 29 days
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I don't know who this word Is for but GIVE GOD TIME.
You can't rush Him and you can't manipulate Him.
You literally go to Him in prayer because you need His help (divine intervention), you don't go there to command Him.
You command your situation, not Him.
Therefore... GIVE GOD TIME.
Give Him time to work behind the scenes.
Give Him time to work IN You.
Give Him time to show up for you.
Time is what will tell what you've been doing with your life.
If you're praying and at the same time you're frustrated, that means you haven't surrendered... You're still in control of that situation.
And as long as you're praying out of frustration, you'll not give God time to work in your favour.
When I was going for my retreat, I told God, I'm going there for you, not for anything.
The Holy Spirit dropped words in my spirit.
Thanksgiving > Praise > worship > Tongues.
Thanksgiving> Praise > worship> tongues.
People of God, after 3 weeks, It began to rain blessings, out of my belly springed forth rivers of living waters
God began to reveal His heart to me (God has prayer requests too)
Give God Time.
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childofchrist1983 · 3 months
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But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. - Micah 5:2 KJV
When the Magi visited Herod looking for the child who would be king, this is the prophecy that his advisors found that sent them on to Bethlehem to find Jesus. Bethlehem was a small town, but it was the place of David's birth and so, being of the house and family of David, Mary and Joseph needed to go to Bethlehem for the census. And now another King would be born there! Without this prophecy, would anyone think that a king would come from there? I'm sure people thought that a great ruler should come from a great place like Jerusalem.
Maybe we have some of those hidden prejudices. How do we judge others? We both that we shouldn't judge, but sometimes we have prejudices that we are unaware of. When Jesus Christ began His ministry, He was once again put down for coming from Nazareth, another small town with nothing to recommend it. So, we can at times judge people for the skills we think they should have, or where they come from, or how well they speak, or for a hundred other reasons and we don't even realize we are doing it. Would we have given Jesus a chance, or would we have judged Him by his origins? Interesting question as we prepare for His return. God created us, and knows us better than we know ourselves. He judges us only by how well we follow and obey Him. He does not care where we are born or the color of our skin or how skilled we are, only that we do what is right by Him and His Holy Word and Spirit. May Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ help us be more like Him in our nature. He extends salvation to everyone, and we want to show the world the freedom, hope and peace they can have in accepting and following Him. May we follow and serve God daily with love, trust, awe and wonder. May Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ strengthen our faith, lift our spirits, protect our hearts, and show us opportunities to help bring others to Him and His Gospel Truth daily.
We must come to Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ with sincere hearts to ask forgiveness and follow Him and His Holy Word and Spirit always. We praise Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the mercy He bestows upon us and we are grateful for His grace and mercy and infinite blessings. By surrendering our hearts and our lives to His will, we see all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. God our refuge and our salvation and our constant provider. We lift our voices to Him in praise for His steadfast love, mercy and understanding. May Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ open our minds and hearts more and more to perceive and embrace Him and His truths. May He help us to find time to pray and read and study the Holy Bible daily and to find power in prayer, praying according to His Holy Word and will. May He help us to come to Him in true repentance and with faith in Him and His grace and merciful nature. May He give us the grace, courage and strength we need to walk with Him and do His will daily. May He teach us to watch our words when we pray to Him and to speak reverently and rightly. May we continually ask God to transform our hearts and make us faithful and humble as we walk with Him daily. We must come to Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ with honest, humble and repentant hearts. We must seek Him and His will and choose to follow Him all the days of our lives. May He help transform our hearts, help us to seek and live for Him above all else and to grow spiritually and build our faith and relationship with Him with each passing day. May He forgive our sinful nature and help us always make Him and our relationship with Him top priority.
As true and born-again Christians, we choose to walk in His righteous path and lead a life that is pleasing to Him. We desire Him and His will above anything else. We desire to walk in accordance with the love and light He has shown to us through His Holy Word and Spirit. We long for a deeper relationship with Him and a deeper fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well. When we fall into temptation and sin, we must turn to Him for forgiveness, strength and guidance. When believers learn to walk in accordance with God's Holy Word and Spirit, they have deeper fellowship with both God and one another. And the sin that could threaten to destroy that fellowship, if confessed (1 John 1:9), is covered in the blood of Jesus Christ and no longer a barrier between us and God. May we ask Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ to forgive us for any sins we have sinned this day or in days past. May we be faithful to Him and His Holy Word always. May He help us to walk more consistently in the light and to not neglect long to confess and forsake any sins that hinder our walk with Him. May He lead us in the direction He wants us to go so that we may seek and serve Him faithfully. God is holy and almighty and deserving of all praise honor and glory. We rejoice in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ, knowing He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8). May our hearts always be filled with thanksgiving and rejoicing. May He help us to praise Him freely and honestly like all believers who came before us. May we live a life that showcases our love and trust in Him and His Holy Word and Spirit as He uses us draw others to Him and His soul-saving Gospel Truth daily. May He continue guide, correct and protect us, so that we continue to grow in Him and not weaken and stray. May we all remain faithful to Him and to this duty and purpose He has called us to. Seek and put your faith and trust in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ and let Him do the rest. May He humble our hearts and help us focus on following and serving Him daily and helping others with joy and happiness. We lift our voices in praise to Him for His love, mercy, peace, faithfulness and grace - For EVERYTHING!
It is vital that we remain rooted in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit and that we live and walk as a beacon of His light and love and share and spread the Gospel Truth daily, so that the lost souls in this world can come to know Him and be saved. The more we focus on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ, growing spiritually by building our relationship with Him, leaning on Him and His Holy Word and Spirit, the better off we will be. Thanks to this and our faith in Him, we know that everything will be alright. And we will forever be grateful to Him. As true and born-again Christians, we believe in Him and His Holy Word and we strive daily to walk in His Holy Spirit. We know though our mortal bodies should die, He will raise us up and into new and glorious bodies (The Rapture). We who are truly His and alive at His second coming will never die, and our bodies will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and so shall we ever be with Him in His Kingdom of Heaven forevermore (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This is one of many promises given to us by God Himself. Thank God for His strength and guidance when we are faced with sin and temptation. Thank Him for His mercy and grace. Through Bible study and prayer, God reveals His wisdom and guides us to see opportunities to grow closer to Him and grow spiritually. He gives us direction to live our lives daily according to His will.
Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven (John 3:5, 14:6), the ONLY way to salvation (Acts 4:12, Ephesians 2:8-9) and He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26). Jesus Christ the LORD of lords, the KING of kings, the GOD of gods (Deuteronomy 10:17, 1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:16) - He is the Living, Almighty and Everlasting God (Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:8, John 3:16, John 3:36, Jeremiah 10:10). There is no other God besides Him (Isaiah 45:5). We MUST humble ourselves before Him, turning our backs on false teachers, false gods and idols and our sinful ways. We MUST repent and turn back to God and recognize who He is and love Him in return for His great love for us. We MUST make God top priority everyday! May we be motivated to spread God's Holy Word and Gospel Truth to all the Earth, knowing that it is the only hope of all those lost in their sins. Let us not hold out a false hope for men to be saved without the Gospel, but instead, strive to do our part to get the Gospel out to a lost and dying world.
Leaning on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit strengthens us and our knowledge and wisdom about God and His Gospel Truth, exposing these imposters. May God help us to seek and lean on Him daily to gain the strength, wisdom and spiritual discernment needed to expose Satan and his imposters who seek to destroy us and God's ultimate Truth. Everyday, we must remember to share Jesus Christ's Gospel Truth with the world and to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and from the eternal damnation of Hell. In all we say and do, may all praise, honor and glory always be given to Him and His Kingdom of Heaven.
With renewed minds, hearts and wills, let us serve Him humbly and faithfully out of pure love and grateful rejoicing. May He remind us of His presence and to remain at peace, fully knowing that all will be well because He is always with us. Let us seek Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ today and everyday with all our heart and being, looking for His love, light and will for our lives with each step we take. Let us seek to please Him with our thoughts, words, and deeds and seek to advance His Kingdom of Heaven and His glory with our lives. Let us seek Him from a pure and humble heart, and when we so seek, we believe Him and His promise that we will find. May He help us all to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.
God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.
May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!
Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.
May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!
Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!
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TURNING THE TIDE
Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."
In the story of the prodigal son where the father killed the fattened calf and gave the returned son the signet ring and the robe -- the elder brother was hugely upset and complaining. The father's response to the elder son was, "All I have is yours..."
Luke 15:31, "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"
In other words the father was saying, "It has been here for you the entire time." The father shows us how this elder son, which represents someone caught up in the rituals of religiosity, never accessed what had rightfully been his all along.
TURNING THE TIDE
One of the most powerful ways we can "turn the tide" of what is going on in our lives and the things going on around us is through our surrendered worship. Maybe you feel like the tide is against you right now. Realize that you can turn the tide through your simplicity of worship to the Lord. Through the spirit of worship we are able to access the realms of glory where revelation flows (Revelation 19:10).
ACCESS A FREEDOM CONSCIOUSNESS
The Word of God is truth but it needs to be accompanied with the Spirit of Revelation, just as Jesus told Peter that He would build His Church on the rock of revelation.
Matthew 16:17-18, "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.'"
What Jesus was referring to here was not a one-time event in Peter's life or in our lives, but a continual flow of the Spirit of Revelation in us (Ephesians 1:17). Without the light of revelation making God's Word alive to us, it is still just ink on paper. God's Spirit makes the Word of God alive in our hearts (through affirmation, meditation, and visualizing the Word), thereby, propelling us into a place of living light and revelation concerning the truth of God.
Psalm 119:105, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Our worship powerfully transforms us and the atmosphere around us because it has an innate heavenly multi-faceted effect upon our lives.
Worship: (in the context of vocalization and surrender to God):
Causes us to be filled with a Holy Spirit consciousness, making us habitations of God.
Changes the spiritual climates surrounding us.
Refreshes our spirit, soul, and body.
Enables us to enter into the courts of the Lord.
Establishes the Lordship of Christ in our hearts.
Ephesians 5:18-20, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
ACCESSING OUR VAST INHERITANCE
Realize that the Holy Spirit is an essential ingredient for your life to flourish by leading you into an understanding of God's Christ calling on your life getting you your full inheritance.
Get your fresh bread from the Holy Spirit. Turn the tide of your life through the simplicity of devotion and worship. If you need to learn how to worship, then ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Yield yourself to God casting everything you are and have upon Him. Jesus said, in Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."
Realize what your Father has for you by asking, knocking, and seeking God's PURPOSE for your life, and begin to turn the tide through bearing fruit that remains (John 15:16) for His Kingdom.. A fresh heart of worship will break you through to a new place where the rivers of living waters flow freely! Take hold, drink deep and overflow!
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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12th October >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 11:5-13 for Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time: ‘Ask and it will be given to you’.
Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel (Except USA) Luke 11:5-13 Ask, and it will be given to you.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
Gospel (USA) Luke 11:5-13 Ask and you will receive.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Reflections (7)
(i) Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
There are various forms of prayer, such as the prayer of petition, the prayer of thanksgiving, the prayer of praise, the prayer of contrition, the prayer of surrender. It is probably true to say that the prayer that comes most naturally to us is the prayer of petition. If we reflect on our prayer life, we will likely find that the prayer of petition, the prayer of asking God for help of some kind, is very much to the fore. There is a prayer book in the Bible, the book of psalms, composed long before the coming of Jesus, and the dominant prayer in that collection of prayers is the prayer of petition. Jesus was aware of the significance of the prayer of petition in the life of believers and today’s gospel reading suggests that he encouraged his disciples to pray that form of prayer, ‘Ask (keep on asking)… search (keep on searching)… knock (keep on knocking)…’. He promises that our prayer of petition will always be answered, ‘It will be given to you… you will find… the door will be opened to you’. It often seems as if our prayers of petition are not answered. We ask for healing for someone, and they don’t get better. Yet, the Lord assures us in the gospel reading that no prayer of petition goes unanswered. Our prayer may not be answered in the way that we had hoped, but Jesus assures us that God is never deaf to our cries for help. At the end of the gospel reading, Jesus says, ‘How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?’ Our prayer of petition will always create a space for the Holy Spirit to work more powerfully in our lives. Saint Paul once wrote, in his letter to the Romans, ‘the Spirit helps us in our weakness’. In response to our prayer of petition we can be assured of receiving the help of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our need and to empower us to strengthen others in their need.
And/Or
(ii) Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus encourages us to keep praying the prayer of petition, ‘Keep on asking…. Keep on searching…. Keep on knocking…’ Of all the different forms of prayer that are open to us, the prayer of petition is probably the one that comes most easily to us. So often we pray out of our need. We recognize some need, some lack, in ourselves that we sense only God can supply and fill. Perhaps we are not always sure, however, what to be praying for, what to be asking for. This morning’s gospel reading comes immediately after the giving of the Lord’s Prayer by Jesus to his disciples. That prayer is really a teaching on what we need to be praying for. The Lord’s Prayer is a succession of short prayers of petition, with the first three petitions focusing on God, and the last four focusing on ourselves. All of our prayers of petition need to be shaped in some way by the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. In the final verse of this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus suggests something else we need to ask for, search for. We need to keep on praying for the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. One of the great prayers of petition for every believer is the simple prayer, ‘Come, Holy Spirit’.
And/Or
(iii) Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
In the Middle Eastern culture of Jesus’ time hospitality was a sacred duty; indeed, it still is in that part of the world today. It is inconceivable that someone in desperate need who knocks on the door of a friend would be refused hospitality, even if it was in the middle of the night. Jesus is saying, ‘if that is how hospitable you are, think of how hospitable God is’. If you are prepared to get up in the middle of the night when a friend knocks on your door, then you should never be slow to knock on God’s door because God is an even more wonderful friend to you. Jesus encourages us in that gospel reading, to knock on God’s door, to seek out God, to petition God. It is a ringing endorsement of the prayer of petition. What are we to ask God for? To put that question another way, ‘What does God want to give us?’ At the end of that gospel reading Jesus declares that what God wants to give us is the Holy Spirit. ‘How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him’. God wants to give us what we most need, and what we most need is the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who empowers us to take the path God wants us to take, the path that leads to fullness of life for ourselves and for others, here and now and in eternity. Jesus insists that if we keep on asking God for that gift of the Spirit we won’t find God wanting.
And/Or
(iv) Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
When you look at the 150 psalms in the book of psalms the most common type of psalm or prayer in the book by far is the prayer of petition. People of faith come before the Lord in their need and implore him for his help. The prayer of petition is still  to all of our prayer today. It is probably the form of prayer that we most frequently pray. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus encourages us to petition God for our needs. ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’. There are two images in the gospel reading that encourage us to petition God. There is the reluctant friend who gives under duress to his friend who calls to him at midnight in dire straits, and the father who gladly gives his son whatever food his son asks for. Jesus is saying that God is much more responsive than a reluctant friend; God is even more responsive than the best of human fathers. Jesus portrays a God who wants to give to us, and who wants to give us what God alone can give, the Holy Spirit. ‘How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?’. Yet, Jesus suggests that God’s willingness to give needs our willingness to keep on asking, if God’s generosity is to be activated. Jesus also implies that we need to keep asking God for what God wants to give us and what God alone can give us, namely, the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is that gift which assures us of God’s loving embrace, regardless of our situation in life.
And/Or
(v) Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus encourages us to keep on asking God, to keep on seeking from God, to keep on knocking on God’s door, in the assurance that God will not ultimately disappoint us. Jesus also directs us towards what we need to be asking God for, what we need to be seeking from God and knocking on God’s door to obtain, and that is the Holy Spirit. ‘If you, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?’ Just a few verses before our gospel reading, Luke had described Jesus as ‘filled with joy by the Holy Spirit’. The same Holy Spirit that filled the life of Jesus will be given to us if we keep asking God for it. At the beginning of Luke’s second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit comes down upon the first followers of Jesus, in response to their prayer. The words of Jesus in this morning’s gospel reading suggest that each of us can have our own Pentecost experience if we ask for it and seek it. Indeed, we need such a Pentecost experience, not just once but throughout our lives. That is why Jesus calls on us to keep on asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is a prayer that God will certainly answer because we need the Holy Spirit if God’s purpose for our lives is to come to pass. It is the Spirit who unites us to Jesus and to God the Father and, thereby, empowers us to live as God desires us to live and to love others as God loves us.
And/Or
(vi) Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Luke’s gospel, from which we are reading these mornings, has preserved much more of Jesus’ teaching on prayer than the other gospels. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus encourages us to pray the prayer of petition, to petition God, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’, literally, ‘Keep on asking... keep on searching... keep on knocking’. Any father will give only good things to his children even if they ask for something harmful to them. Jesus concludes from this human experience that our heavenly Father will certainly give good things to us when we petition God in prayer. Jesus seems to be suggesting that the prayer of petition opens us up to the good things that God wants to give us. What does God want to give us? At the end of the gospel reading, Jesus identifies the good that God wants to give us with the Holy Spirit. ‘How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?’ Even if our prayer of petition is not answered in the way we would like, such prayer will always upon us up to God’s gift of the Holy Spirit and this is a greater gift than anything else we could ask for. Pentecost is not just a once off event at the beginning of the church’s life. It is a daily event for those who persevere with the prayer of petition, those who come before God in their need and open their hearts to God’s gift.
And/Or
(vii) Thursday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
This gospel reading opens with a story that is drawn from village life in Galilee. It concludes with a reference to family life within the village. A villager who finds he has nothing to offer an unexpected guest should be able to rely on a friend within the village to help him out in his need. A son who asks his father for food, whether it is bread, fish or an egg, can expect to be given what he asks for. In between these two little scenarios, Jesus gives an instruction based on both images, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you...’. Jesus recognized that all of human life had the potential to speak to us about God. All of human experience spoke to Jesus of God’s relationship with us and of our relationship with God. He appreciated what we might call today the sacramental quality of all of life. If someone in a small village can rely on a good friend to help him out in an emergency and if a son can rely on his father to feed him, how much more can we rely on God. Even the best of human loves are but a pale reflection of God’s love. It is because of who God is that we can ask him with confidence for our needs, that we can search for God in the expectation of finding and that we can knock on God’s door in the expectation of having it opened. What are we to ask for, what are we to seek, above all else? At the very end of the gospel reading Jesus suggests that what we need to ask for and seek above all is the Holy Spirit. It is in and through the Spirit that we know ourselves to be enfolded by God’s love and are empowered to share God’s love with others.
Fr. Martin Hogan.
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For Past Mistakes
Holy Jesus, help me to surrender past mistakes; not to dwell on them, but to accept your forgiveness in the certainty of hope. The past is over and gone forever. Having made such restitution as is your will, there is nothing more I can do about them.
Lift the burden of my past failures from my spirit. Let me go forward in faith. Clear the clouds from my path and lighten my step. If you do not reproach me, let me hear no reproach from myself or any other person, but only your promise of new life. And bring your Word and your light and your forgiveness to all who have wrecked their lives, I pray; for your power is greater than sin, and there no human being you cannot heal, no matter how wretched and vile, if they only surrender their lives to you.
Amen.
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